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New study explores Tunisia’s jihadi movement in numbers

Gleaning information from court cases, researchers have made significant discoveries about Tunisia’s jihadi movement.
Supporters of Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia clash with riot police at Hai al Tadamon in Tunis May 19, 2013. Supporters of the hardline Islamist group clashed with Tunisian police in two cities on Sunday after the government banned its annual rally and the regional arm of al Qaeda urged it to stand firm against the authorities.  REUTERS/Anis Mili  (TUNISIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS RELIGION) - RTXZSR8
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A recently released study by the Tunisian Center for Research and Studies on Terrorism (CTRET) revealed new insights into Tunisian jihadi groups, including their affiliations with organizations outside the country, their anti-government plans and demographic information about their members.

Using the records of 1,000 incarcerated jihadis involved in 384 court cases from 2011 to 2015, the report found that 40% of the terrorists held a university degree or had some level of higher education. The CTRET report also found that women were 3.5% of the sample, and 751 of the 1,000 terrorists were under age 35.

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